introducing
Q&A
The Transparency Initiative has
nadian and international), the CMA,
seen us add cautions and ICRC
and we expect additional input from
SCERPs to the public register, in adboth the Federal Panel and the Provincial/
dition to other information. During the
Territorial Advisory Group. As is usual, we
consultation, many physicians objected
will also be seeking input from the public
to this move. Why do you think it was
and the profession through our consultation
important for the College to proceed as
process.
it did?
You recently graduated from a health
A. The College’s duty is to serve and protect
management course at Harvard. What
the public interest. In considering the options
was that like?
for the sharing of physician-specific inforA. The Master’s program in Healthcare
mation, we had to balance the opinions of
Management was specifically designed for
members of the profession with the expectaphysicians in active practice; the two-year
tions of their patients as well as best practices
schedule had us attending school for three
amongst health-care regulators. We’ve added
weeks each summer as well as
information to help patients
five four-day weekends each
make informed choices about
year. My colleagues at the hostheir medical care, enhanced our
accountability to the public, and
In doing so, the pital and I were able to schedmade our regulatory processes
CPSO is setting ule around these absences and
thankfully the weather (and the
more accessible and understandthe
standard
for
airlines) cooperated most of the
able. In doing so, the CPSO is
time to get me back and forth
setting the standard for other
other medical
without much inconvenience.
medical regulators.
regulators
Many of the projects and papers
The issue of physicianwe were assigned could be reassisted death will be the
lated to my work at the hospifocus of much Council attention over
tal, which helped with both relevance and
the next several months. Where do you
time management.
even begin when taking on such a sigHow do you relax?
nificant issue?
A. I have always been able to relax pretty
A. End-of-life care has already been the
much anywhere with a good book (I think
subject of considerable attention at the ColI’m a pretty quick reader, but my holds list
lege for several years, with our latest policy
at the library seems to grow faster than I
revision being ratified by Council just several
can read them) – more recently, I’m workmonths ago. Consideration of physicianing hard at being an “active relaxer” – walkassisted death now joins decision-making
ing, biking, hiking from spring through
around resuscitation and palliative care for
fall and downhill skiing in the winter. In
patients near the end of life. The College’s
the summer, I will often be at the family
response to the Supreme Court of Canada’s
cottage, out on the lake, either canoeing or
decision and subsequent guidance to the prokayaking, driving the ski boat for my sons
fession is, clearly and thankfully, not mine to
and their cousins, or sitting with a book on
“take on” alone – we have strong groundwork
the dock.
already laid by other medical regulators (CaIssue 4, 2015 Dialogue
Issue4_15.indd 25
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2015-12-16 9:35 AM